Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-10-14

.Ss KIOms Week " 6ksN6FNANe4p uOib0'
led Items concerning tho progress q,
the water power improvement, but 4
would doubtless be interesting 10 oul
readers at this time 10 give : complete
statement Of what has been accomplish
ed mp; to the present time.
The work Of making the improve
ments began early in July Of this year,
though it was not until tae latter part d
that month that forces Of men were at
work. Before the first Of August nearly
800 men and q large number Of teams
were at work, and the force has remain
ed about that size since. Work was
first begun on the canal, which is 1000
feet long, so in width aud Is feet deep.
Fora few feet down the work was COM
paritiyely eafy. the rock not being struck
until the canal had reached a depth Of
several feet. ledge was then struck
that has to be cut down from 8 to feet
its entire length. The dirt has all been
removee and the rock blasted down to
the proper level a large part of the
distance. Most of the loos rock RENAME
in the canal, and will be usedfor filling
ann riprapping the dam. The tail race
from the lower end os the canal to the
River, about 100 feet in leagth, has also
been cut out. In a short time the rock
can ali be removed from the dam, and
then the FORK of bulcing the immense
stone walls of the canal will begin. For
the sides OF the canal, tail race and
connection with the main river at the.
head ofthe canal it will nearly one-half
q mile in length and fifteen feet and
upwards in hight This wallis one of
the most expensive parts of the work. n
" In August the building of the dam was
begun, and as large force of carpenters
as could be conveniently employed have
since been at work on it. The dam has
been built between the east shore and
Mill island up to nearly it's proper
height, although there still remains con-
siderable work on that part. Between
the island and the west shore, the most
difficult part of the dam, a large force
have been at work for some time, and
succeeded this week in getting the tim
bers in connecting the two ends. A
large part ofthe water has been turned
into the east channel, space being left
in the dam to allow it to 60 through,
and the pressure on the west side
greatly reduced. It is expected that
the dam on the west side will be com
pleted up to the natural level of the
river and properly secured in
a few days. 1t will take
some time to get the timber work of
the dam up to the desired height,
and then heavy planks will raise it
about one foot higher. The front will
be thorouuhly planked, and thousands
of tons of rock placed in front of it
when it is completed. It's length will
be s3l feet, distributing the pressure
along an extended distance, very de-
sirable feature in dam.
. Over. 100 cars of granite for the gate
house and canal have already been re-
ceived, and shipments are arriving
daily. A large force of stone cuttersare
at work dressing the granite, and their
work of preparing and laying it will ex-
tend through the whole winter.
Excavations are being made for the
foundation for the head work of the ca
nal and gate-house, and construction
will soon begin. 1t will be the finest
piece of work Of tee kind in the West.
The head work will be OF cut granite,
and the gate house of brick. Hydraulic
power, applied according to the most
approved modem system, will be used
to raise and lower the gates. Il